Lords Sitting of 1 May 1903

PRIVATE BILL BUSINESS.
The LORD CHANCELLOR The LORD CHANCELLOR acquainted the House, That the Clerk of the Parliaments had laid upon the Table the Certificates from the Examiners that the Standing Orders applicable to the following Bills have not been complied with—
Salford Corporation [H.L.]. (Petition for additional provision.)
North-Western Electricity and Power Gas [H.L.]. (Petition for additional provision.)
And the Certificates that the further Standing Orders applicable to the following Bills have been complied with—
Ipswich Gas; Great Northern and City Railway; Broad stairs Gas; Bath Corporation Water; Bridgwater Gas; East Ardsley Gas; Stoke Newington Borough Council; Midland Railway; North Middlesex Gas.
And the Certificate that the further Standing Orders applicable to the following Bill have not been complied with—
Maidstone Gas.
The same were ordered to lie on the Table.
Baker Street and Waterloo Railway (Extension of Time) Bill; North-Western Electricity and Power Gas Bill [H.L.] (Petition for additional provision); Sal-ford Corporation Bill [H.L.] (Petition for additional provision); Maidstone Gas Bill. Examiner's Certificates of noncompliance with the Standing Orders referred to the Standing Orders Committee on Thursday next.
Hove, Worthing, and District Tramways Bill [H.L.]. A witness ordered to attend the Select Committee.
Frinton-on-Sea Sea Defences Bill [H.L.]. The King's consent signified; and Bill reported from the Select Committee, with Amendments.
Dublin Improvement (Bull Alley Area) Bill. Committee to meet on Tuesday next.
Tynemouth and District Tramways Bill [H.L.]. Report from the Committee of Selection that the five Lords appointed a Select Committee on the Carmarthen shire Electric Power Bill [H.L.], and other Bills, do form the Select Committee for the consideration of the Tynemouth and District Tramways Bill [H.L.]; read, and agreed to; all petitions referred to the Committee, with leave to the petitioners praying to be heard by counsel against the Bill to be heard as desired, as also counsel for the Bill.
Manchester Corporation Bill [H.L.], The order made yesterday appointing certain Lords the Select Committee to consider the Bill, discharged.
Liverpool University Bill [H.L.]. Read 2a (according to order).
Mersey Docks and Harbour Board Bill [H.L.]. Read 3a; Amendments made; Bill passed, and sent to the Commons.
Cleveland and Durham County Electric Power Bill [H.L.]. Read 3a, and passed, and sent to the Commons.
Western Trust Bill [H.L.]. Returned from the Commons agreed to.

RETURNS, REPORTS, ETC.
  HOUSE OF LORDS MANUSCRIPTS.
  Message from the Commons for copy of the Manuscripts of the House of Lords, Volume II. (New Series); Ordered to be communicated.
  TRANSVAAL.
  Papers relating to the Criminal Procedure Code, 1903 (Ordinance No. 1); Presented [by Command], and ordered to lie on the Table.

  THAMES CONSERVANCY.
  General Report of the proceedings of the Conservators of the River Thames during the year ended 31st December, 1902; with a statement of the accounts

  1067
  of the Conservators for that year; Delivered (pursuant to Act), and ordered to lie on the Table.

  PREVENTION OF CRUELTY TO CHILDREN (AMENDMENT) BILL [H.L.]
  The following Lords were named of the Select Committee:

  E. Ancaster,

  L. Belper,

  L. Lamington,

  L. Monkswell,

  L. Alverstone;

  The Committee to appoint their own Chairman.

  MANCHURIA.
  THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS (The Marquess of LANSDOWNE): My Lords, I may perhaps supplement by a few words the statement which I made in reply to Lord Spencer last night upon the subject of the evacuation of Manchuria. I have received from the Russian Ambassador, to whom I had addressed an inquiry upon the subject, a verbal statement to the following effect:—The information which has reached the British Government as to the conditions required for the evacuation of Manchuria is not at all correct. The discussions which are proceeding at Pekin concern Manchuria alone, and have reference to certain guarantees which are indispensable for securing the most important Russian interests in the province after the withdrawal of the Russian troops. As for measures which might tend to exclude foreign Consuls or obstruct foreign commerce and the use of ports, such measures are far from entering into the intentions of the Imperial Government. They consider, on the contrary, that the development of foreign commerce is one of the main objects for which the Russian Government have undertaken the construction of lines of railway in that part of the world.
  House adjourned at twenty-five minutes before Five o'clock, to Monday next, a quarter before Eleven o'clock.